The invention relates to protective garments and the method of making the same. More particularly, the invention is concerned with lightweight disposable protective coverall garments.
Protective garments include woven and non-woven fabrics for disposable use. The garments are generally formed from films or fabrics of synthetic polymeric materials which are laminates and are inherently resistant to gas and liquid penetration and in some cases resistant to chemical vapor penetration. The fabrics are generally spunbonded, meltspun or related non-woven thermoplastic material.
A coverall is a protective garment to be worn over other clothing. Most coveralls are manufactured from heavy rubber or cloth such as denim and may afford protection against dirt and stains and are abrasion resistant. However, they are porous and offer no barrier to liquids, and the heavy material becomes uncomfortable, restricts movement and is cumbersome.
Not only does the heavy fabric contribute to the deficiencies of the currently available coveralls, but the design utilizes a yoke type sleeve which has stress points primarily under the arms and the seam running up the back of the coverall. In this case, overreaching may cause the seam to split.
Hazmat suits, which are made from synthetic materials, are generally light and may become torn while stretching. To overcome this problem, the suits are made extra wide. The additional width creates additional problems in maneuvering or the catching of excess fabric on objects so as to tear or get caught in emergency situations. Normally, the sleeves are attached to the garment at right angles to the armpit holes or are formed together with the upper portion at right angles to the shoulders and armpits.
Therefore, there exists a need to provide a lightweight, disposable protective coverall garment that improves fit, comfort, and freedom of movement, as well as a method of making which optimizes the use of the material of construction.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an improvement in a lightweight disposable protective garment, a method of making and a pattern blank which makes the manufacture more efficient. The resulting coverall is structurally stronger and more comfortable to wear, allowing the wearer more freedom of movement when bending or stretching.
The disposable protective coverall garment of the present invention comprising: an upper bodice member with an optional collar member, set sleeve members and a lower bifurcated member attached thereto, said upper bodice member being entirely in one piece, free of seams or folds and said bifurcated members formed from two leg portions to provide a relatively wide crotch and body fullness in the region of the crotch with means for closing the garment extending from the region of the crotch to the collar region when a one piece garment or along the front of the upper bodice member for a two piece garment.
In yet another embodiment, the invention provides pattern blanks that form the disposable protective coverall garment described above. The pattern blanks for forming the disposable protective one or two-piece coverall garment comprising:
an upper bodice pattern blank;
a lower torso member blank with leg forming portions;
two whole set sleeve pattern blanks or four whole sleeve pattern blanks;
and optionally, one collar pattern blank,
wherein said upper bodice blank is of one piece free of seams or folds and adapted to accommodate a set sleeve configuration. The sleeves are placed on the bodice so as to form reduced stress at the armpits.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved disposable protective coverall garment.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a disposable protective coverall garment with a garment structure that provides a more comfortable fitting garment and where the freedom of movement of the wearer is not restricted.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a disposable protective coverall garment wherein the entire back and upper front portion are made from a single piece of material.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a garment which can be easily donned and doffed.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide pattern blanks for more efficient material utilization.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a disposable protective coverall garment with reduced stressed locations.
Yet still another object of this invention is to provide a method for making the disposable protective coverall garment of this invention.
Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention will be had by referring to the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.